Liam leaned back in the chair. The taught fabric prevented him from sinking in or finding much comfort. Much to the dismay of his aching body. Despite the group only training in the pods, his muscles were feeling the strain. Less from physical exertion and more from being in one position for so long. Yet even now, outside of the confines and allowed to sit as he wanted, the chair fought against him. As if laughing that Liam would never find comfort again.

Like the rest of the room, the chair was in pristine condition. The fabric didn’t even have a crease in it, as if the thing had been delivered from the furniture store that very morning. Which, given the resources at the disposal of The Watch, it was possible. Though the financial strain of that type of commitment wasn’t something Liam wanted to imagine.

The rest of the group lounged on the surrounding couches. Their sedated expressions showing they didn’t have the same concerns he did about where the furniture was coming from, or the price.

In the past few weeks, they’d grown closer. Though, that didn’t explain how their bonds were changing. Maybe it’d be better to say they’d gelled? Whatever the case, it’d resulted in better performances during their training runs. The last few had been the best so far. They’d even completed all the objectives without losing someone or taking down a city block on the last one. Both evidence of their steady improvement.

There were some additional side effects of their time together. Chief among them the attire everyone was wearing as they relaxed.

For the first few weeks, only Liam and Wire removed their masks. Liam because there was nothing for him to hide and Wire for reasons he wasn’t all too sure of. Now, that number had risen to four.

Tank’s face was what Liam had expected. Her brown hair was cut short. Leaving it less likely to get in the way as she fought. A statement less about style and more of her mindset about the job. The woman was nothing if not practical in that regard.

The major distinguishing feature of her face was the scar running along her temple and down to her cheek. The wicked line was something Liam wanted to know the story about. You didn’t get something like that on a walk in the park. Yet at the same time, Liam didn’t want to ask. Doing so would be a clear invasion of Tank’s privacy. Something he’d never do with someone he’d just started working with.

Which left Liam in the awkward place of trying not to stare at the wound. A tall task when Tank’s hair style kept it on prominent display. Liam half expected she was treating the thing as a badge of honor and not a reminder of a past folly. Which again emphasized the fact he had to be careful with how he approached the older Hero.

Nudge, the other face which had come from behind the curtain, was a bigger surprise. Liam had expected a grizzled old Hero. The man certainly took on that role when he talked. Yet the face that greeted them was young, looking a few years older than Liam himself. It was an odd discrepancy, and something Liam was still working to wrap his head around.

As of now, Liam had three leading theories why the man looked that way and was open to more. The first was that Nudge’s appearance was related to his power. The man could control plants. Maybe he’d used them to create some miracle drug. The elixir of youth or something of the sort. Either that or he was in touch with an amazing healer. While both were unlikely, they made more sense than his other thought.

The third idea passing through Liam’s head was that the man’s aging had slowed. Looking into the Heroes past, Laim had found him working cases fifteen years ago. Which if his looks were any indicator meant the man had been ten when he started fighting Cowls? That just couldn’t be.

As with Tank, Liam wasn’t inclined to ask which of his guesses were correct. There were certain topics that were open to discussion, and certain ones that weren’t. These fell squarely in the latter category.

The other thing holding Liam back, besides common courtesy, was an anticipated reciprocal question. If he blurred the line of what was an acceptable question and what wasn’t then he’d have many unwanted questions coming his way in return.

Liam could see them swimming through the youngest person in the room’s head. A hundred questions for him and just as many for the other Heroes. Her brain must be straining to keep them all at bay. And for now, she was doing that by following the others lead.

Regardless of the reason, the group was sprawled out tonight. And for the first time since they’d gotten here, they were all in the theater room, relaxing and not going over a training video.

For Liam himself, his talk with Wire, a few days before, had made an impact. While she wasn’t a friend, she wasn’t a complete unknown anymore either. The conversation they’d shared had been more than just a few words. It’d led him to a better understanding of the young Hero under the mask.

In front of them, the TV blared. Its display caught in the vicious cycle of commercials. Each one screaming louder than the last. Though the volume had the opposite effect on the Heroes. Instead of drawing them in, they did everything in their power to ignore the screen. Pulling out phones, letting their eyes wander, anything but looking at the offending spectacle. Only when they were over did the group turn back to what was on the air.

When he’d been at the Academy, Liam had modified his TV’s speakers. Whenever a commercial came on, they’d cut out or switch to classical music. It’d saved Liam from listening to the endless barrage of garbage. No thank you. He didn’t need a dog pooper scooper regardless of how many times it appeared on the screen.

It was something he was tempted to do here as well. Depending on how long they were staying, it might become a necessity.

In Liam’s left hand was a fruit drink, one he’d plundered from the kitchen earlier in the evening. The beverage was becoming his go to drink. He’d stumbled upon it in a lucky encounter a few days before. In a twist of fate, he’d been looking for orange juice and grabbed the wrong thing. Not wanting to make the trek back to the kitchen, Liam had braved the new drink. Now, the drink was his favorite.

Taking a swig, Liam sighed as the cool liquid flowed into his mouth. The flavors of apple and strawberry leading the way. Two of his favorite foods. Banana and a few other fruits followed through as hints. Nothing strong enough to overwhelm the leading flavors, but enough to let you know they were there, tingling the back of his palate.

Such a little thing, a good drink. And yet it was something he didn’t have a chance to experience when he was with Mr. Hat.

Liam emerged from the glory that was the fruit drink when the commercials ended. A news reporter taking the place of the mind numbing vacuum of a moment before.

“Day two of the trial of the decade as Ullr, H-Bar, and Gladius face punishment for their alleged crimes.”

The reporter’s voice cut through everyone’s conversations. Wire’s attention darted towards Liam before shifting back to the screen. He could tell the older two wanted to do the same, but they at least had the decency not to stare at him.

“In a surprise move, H-Bar has opted for a separate trial from his co-defendants.”

Was that really a surprise? Liam had assumed the group would turn on each other the moment they were caught. The fact that hadn’t happened yet was telling. However, the cracks were starting to show. This only being the most obvious.

The reporter continued, “It’s still unclear if Source or Nudge will take the stand, however the prosecution’s case has proven solid so far.”

The calming sensation Liam had been feeling faded away. The trial brought back memories he’d been fighting to suppress.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Liam’s calm exterior popped like a balloon. His hand gripped the armrest of his chair. Its perfect fabric trembling in his grasp.

They wanted him on the stand. The lawyers had already threatened to force him. The prosecutor, at Nudge’s insistence, was pushing back. Yet they all knew the defense wouldn’t let in. They’d drag him through everything in an attempt to break his will. And even if that didn’t work, they’d try to tarnish him in the process.

Despite the trial, it was his other former teammate, Skip, that was more of a concern than any lawyer. The man was still out there. How could things ever end with him on the loose? The short answer, they couldn’t. Even if they won the trial, Liam couldn’t forget this nightmare of a life he would be living until his last former teammate was caught.

Liam fidgeted in the chair, looking for an escape. He couldn’t just sit here and listen to the news. Or worse, one of the Heroes around him trying to offer help. Anything better than a simple ‘I’m tired,’ or just walking out would do. Only for the intercom to come to his aid.

“Phone call for… Source,” a distinctly robotic voice said.

Liam was so grateful for the help, he didn’t even comment on the poor craftsmanship of the recording. Or how he’d made something better when he was in high school.

“I have to take that,” Liam said as he stood.

“I-” Wire started only for Tank to interrupt her.

“Of course. You should take it in your room.”

Liam nodded as he walked out of the room. Afraid saying anything else would bring forth a comment he couldn’t take back. Muffled voices followed Liam once he’d made it halfway down the hallway. The conversation lost to him as he moved away from it.

For the entire walk to his room, Liam was in a haze. He wasn’t sure if it took five minutes or fifty before he found his destination. But he didn’t dally when he arrived.

Flopping down on the bed, Liam pulled out his cell phone, one of the custom made DCP models with their extra security features. The key one being he wouldn’t be directly talking to the person on the other end of the call, but instead through several intermediary sites. There was even an air gap added for extra security that made tracking an individual call impossible. The enhanced security was a clear boon to the Heroes, yet the system had a noticeable delay and degrade in audio quality that took time to get used to.

Picking up the phone, only then did Liam realize he didn’t know who was on the other end. He’d been looking for any excuse to escape; he hadn’t even realized who had provided it. Now, with the phone up to his ear, he’d be stuck talking with whoever was on the other end.

“Hello?” Liam asked.

“Source is that you! It’s been so long, how is everything going,” the chipper voice on the other end of the line exclaimed after a second’s pause.

“Frank, is that you?” Liam asked his former merchandising rep.

Liam’s entire body decompressed when he realized it wasn’t a lawyer. Only now did he realize just how tight his body had become.

“Yes! I’ve been trying to get in touch for the last few weeks. I was starting to think you were avoiding me.”

“I would never do that,” Liam lied. He’d been doing exactly as the man suggested. There was just something about talking to the man that brought up memories, many of which he’d rather not have to relive.

“That’s good to hear.”

There was a pause in the conversation. Liam wasn’t sure if Frank was expecting him to say something or not. Without knowing what was expected of him, Liam fell back to waiting what came next.

“The monthly Hero rankings came out today,” Frank started again. Only for another pause to appear. The question Frank wanted asked, became clearer by the moment. Not wanting to succumb to a simple hint, Liam waited until Frank continued, the man’s voice losing some of its luster when he did. “You place 23. The highest ranked apprentice in decades.”

As a kid, Liam had lived for the rankings. Arguing their merit with anyone who would listen. Since he’d become a Hero, Liam hadn’t looked at the thing again. It just felt weird comparing himself to the other Heroes. As if a number on a list could capture the true value of what they did.

“That’s… interesting,” Liam tried. Not even trying to hide his disinterest in the subject.

“You’re darn right it is!” Frank shot back. The man’s chipper voice was coming back. Clearly he hadn’t gotten Liam’s hint. “Do you have any idea what this will do to your merchandise sales?”

“I thought all of that was destroyed during the first few nights after… what happened to me,” Liam said.

It only made sense that it’d be gone. He’d seen videos of his merchandise being burnt en mass. Why would stores keep selling something for someone who was labeled a Cowl, or keep anything in stock?

“I kept some old stock around. Figured when they decided you were on the up and up we could sell it.”

So Frank kept the merchandise.

“That’s why you save it?” Liam asked. His brow furrowing as he tried to pierce if that was the truth.

“Alright, fine. I don’t like wasting good merchandise. That doesn’t matter though. All you should care about is I have some stock left. I saw one of your old shirts go for a grand online the other day. A grand! We can sell what’s left as the legacy line. Then create another line with your fresh look. We’ll have to get on that today, before we are overwhelmed or knock offs start appearing. Can you send me some pictures to work with?”

People still had his merch? He used to have all of it. That’d been lost when he went on the run. Knowing there were still people who had it. Liam was given a life line by the prospect of people trusting in him even in the worst of times. Yet was it enough?

“I’m not sure I want to do that.”

“What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t you want to?” Frank asked. His voice going theatrical as he questioned Liam.

“So much has changed, I’m not sure I’m that person anymore.”

Liam looked over to his new closet. Still left barren. A suitcase next to it, still packed, a few choice pieces of clothing sat in a dirty pile next to it.

“You’re an icon for the next generation. Not just as a Hero, but as a person. Every kid wants to be like you. Show them what it means to be a Hero,” Frank said. His voice growing in intensity as he spoke.

“What does that have to do with shirts and posters?” Liam wondered.

“Showing them with your actions is the first step. Letting them have a piece of it is the next. Who wouldn’t want to support you, to live up to what you’ve done? Let them in, let them be a part of this. Let them feel like they are better people by sharing in what you did.”

“Just let them take part in what I do?”

“It’s what a Hero does. Stand there and hold the burden for others.”

“I’ll… let me think about it.”

“Alright, but you have to think fast. Your friends at the DCP are good at keeping counterfeit products out of circulation, but without a true brand to fall back on, it’s only a matter of time before they get overwhelmed.”

Friends at the DCP. It was almost like Frank didn’t know what he was talking about. Oh right, he didn’t.

“Just give me a few days to think about it?”

“Will do,” Frank said. Then, in a calmer voice, he continued, “It was good talking to you, Source.”

And with that, the call ended. Leaving Liam in a bind. He’d loved Hero memorabilia as a kid. So much so that he’d gone to the store early after Thanksgiving to snag a few choice collectables. Now though, did he want to get back into it?

Out of a desire to stay away from the other Heroes for a little longer, Liam pulled open his computer and looked at a Hero ranking website.

After a few clicks, he was there. Not just on the site, but on the list itself. Standing there in black, bold letters was the number 23, and the name Source. No current team or city were given in the additional information section.

Scrolling down, Liam looked through the comments.

Student H

What do you mean 23? Source is the best Hero out there. This poll is rigged.

Hero Watch

Rigged might be too strong a word. He deserves top 25, but top 20?

Almost Famous

Top 20 or riot!

Magic Blades

He should be on his own list. Let’s create one for the true Heroes.

Liam’s Legion

Don’t worry Source! We support you even if the idiots who wrote this are blind to your greatness.

The comments continued, but Liam soon lost himself in them. There were hundreds of them. More than he’d seen for any poll as a kid, and he’d gone down the rabbit hole many times when looking at these lists.

And now, 9 of 10 comments were for him. All pushing him to do more, be better, and be recognized for it. Was this what Frank was talking about? Were these the people he needed to give an outlet?

Liam touched his phone. He almost called Frank back, but no. He had to think about it. This wasn’t something he could jump into on a whim.

The comments called him, reminding him what he was doing. Who he was doing it for. This was where he was meant to be. This was what he was meant to be doing.